Now before I begin I just want to clarify this:
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to
GAME MODE: ON!
Now I just wanna make it clear that this is going to be a short article as I can't really say too much about it without giving anything away because, to simply put it, this is such a bloody-good game that I'd highly recommend that people go and try out.
What I will say, however, is that up until this point, I have never touched a single entry in the Silent Hill series.
As much as I have heard amazing things about the original trilogy and what they've done for the horror genre, this was something I never got around to. I did have alot of interest in playing a Silent Hill game but unfortunately, with the exception of that universally-panned HD Collection currently selling on the Xbox digital store, no other titles seem to be up for sale at the moment. Even Sony don't seem to see the dollar-signs in making the first three games available for purchase on PS4 and PS5 which sucks. As far as I'm concerned, my only experience with the series were the movie adaptations(first one's great, second one sucked) but that's about it.
There is a remake of Silent Hill 2 on the way but so far, no release date has been finalized yet with only a basic gameplay trailer having just came out.
But just to tide us over, Konami were nice enough to release a new Silent Hill game on PS5 for free and unlike the last time they've done something like this, this was not done to promote a new installment they'll likely cancel for shitty reasons and which will result in this being de-listed. No, sir, this is a short, fully-fledged side-story that manages to uphold the legacy of the series while still telling a personal and haunting tale that will seriously resonate with today's sad-ass society.
Having played the whole thing all the way through, I can safely say that it is definitely worth your time.
Now the plot of the game is a bit hard to describe without going into spoilers. Basically, you play as Anita, a high-school girl struggling with depression who finds herself wandering into an abandoned high-rise building known as the Villa where she's supposed to meet a friend of hers only for the forces of Silent Hill to come along and torment her with her own deepest darkest memories.
The Silent Hill series has always delved into very heavy subject matter with the monsters of the infamous ghost town often representing these dire themes and here, it's no exception. It's probably one of the darker entries as it dealt with issues of bullying, neglect, suicide and more. It is a very grim story and it especially doesn't help that you have nothing on you but a smartphone so you have no choice but to run when necessary.
Not only is the story deep and interesting but the gameplay itself has a fascinating simplicity to it.
To sum it, it's one of those walk-around mystery-type games where you go around finding notes and clues as to what's happening and maybe solve the occasional puzzle. A few times throughout, you will be chased by a hellish entity and again, since you have no weapons on you, all you can do is just run for your life. But even then, the game will throw a curve-ball later on where you have to find a way to open your only means of escape while being chased in this fuck-off maze with no map. It's hectic and often a little frustrating but you do feel good once you finally beat such a harrowing sequence.
Just on a side-note, this game kinda reminds me of Resident Evil 7 in the sense that it's first-person with a dark and gritty look and a couple or so similar mechanics. Plus, much like how this is my first SH game, RE7 was my first RE game. Kinda freaky when I think about it.
As for the characters, again, I will not say much without giving anything away but I will say that when our playable lead goes through hell, it's some of the most investing shit you could get from a horror game and it's easy for people going through similar issues to connect to. You do feel sorry for these characters and you want Anita to get through okay and potentially cleanse herself of any inner-demons laying inside.
Also, that monster that occasionally chases you about? Goddamn, that thing's freaky.
Production design is also pretty spot-on for a short freebie like this. Not only are the graphics damn-near lifelike but there are some creepy and disturbing visuals and the music by Akira Yamaoka is downright classy.
So overall, Silent Hill: The Short Message is a great entry point in the series and a great way to tide us over until any new games come out especially the SH2 remake.
If I did have some nitpicks, it would be that the lip-syncing can be a bit of an issue and I don't think I've heard a single person with a German accent in a game that's supposed to take place in Germany. But other than that, this was a great game to experience.
If you happen to have a couple hours on your hands, I'd say definitely pick this up and give it a go.
Also, Konami, please don't delete this game like you did with P.T. Please!
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week. Actually, scratch that, expect a new review every two weeks. Really need to rest easy after two years of writing too much content.
And on that note, do check out my reviews for the Silent Hill movies and here's to hoping that new third one is any good.
SILENT HILL(2006): https://letterboxd.com/cmpg1337/film/silent-hill/
SILENT HILL: REVELATION: https://letterboxd.com/cmpg1337/film/silent-hill-revelation-3d/
This is strictly my own opinion. If you disagree with me, more power to you. Just keep the comments civil and respectful.
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to
GAME MODE: ON!
Now I just wanna make it clear that this is going to be a short article as I can't really say too much about it without giving anything away because, to simply put it, this is such a bloody-good game that I'd highly recommend that people go and try out.
What I will say, however, is that up until this point, I have never touched a single entry in the Silent Hill series.
As much as I have heard amazing things about the original trilogy and what they've done for the horror genre, this was something I never got around to. I did have alot of interest in playing a Silent Hill game but unfortunately, with the exception of that universally-panned HD Collection currently selling on the Xbox digital store, no other titles seem to be up for sale at the moment. Even Sony don't seem to see the dollar-signs in making the first three games available for purchase on PS4 and PS5 which sucks. As far as I'm concerned, my only experience with the series were the movie adaptations(first one's great, second one sucked) but that's about it.
There is a remake of Silent Hill 2 on the way but so far, no release date has been finalized yet with only a basic gameplay trailer having just came out.
But just to tide us over, Konami were nice enough to release a new Silent Hill game on PS5 for free and unlike the last time they've done something like this, this was not done to promote a new installment they'll likely cancel for shitty reasons and which will result in this being de-listed. No, sir, this is a short, fully-fledged side-story that manages to uphold the legacy of the series while still telling a personal and haunting tale that will seriously resonate with today's sad-ass society.
Having played the whole thing all the way through, I can safely say that it is definitely worth your time.
Now the plot of the game is a bit hard to describe without going into spoilers. Basically, you play as Anita, a high-school girl struggling with depression who finds herself wandering into an abandoned high-rise building known as the Villa where she's supposed to meet a friend of hers only for the forces of Silent Hill to come along and torment her with her own deepest darkest memories.
The Silent Hill series has always delved into very heavy subject matter with the monsters of the infamous ghost town often representing these dire themes and here, it's no exception. It's probably one of the darker entries as it dealt with issues of bullying, neglect, suicide and more. It is a very grim story and it especially doesn't help that you have nothing on you but a smartphone so you have no choice but to run when necessary.
Not only is the story deep and interesting but the gameplay itself has a fascinating simplicity to it.
To sum it, it's one of those walk-around mystery-type games where you go around finding notes and clues as to what's happening and maybe solve the occasional puzzle. A few times throughout, you will be chased by a hellish entity and again, since you have no weapons on you, all you can do is just run for your life. But even then, the game will throw a curve-ball later on where you have to find a way to open your only means of escape while being chased in this fuck-off maze with no map. It's hectic and often a little frustrating but you do feel good once you finally beat such a harrowing sequence.
Just on a side-note, this game kinda reminds me of Resident Evil 7 in the sense that it's first-person with a dark and gritty look and a couple or so similar mechanics. Plus, much like how this is my first SH game, RE7 was my first RE game. Kinda freaky when I think about it.
As for the characters, again, I will not say much without giving anything away but I will say that when our playable lead goes through hell, it's some of the most investing shit you could get from a horror game and it's easy for people going through similar issues to connect to. You do feel sorry for these characters and you want Anita to get through okay and potentially cleanse herself of any inner-demons laying inside.
Also, that monster that occasionally chases you about? Goddamn, that thing's freaky.
Production design is also pretty spot-on for a short freebie like this. Not only are the graphics damn-near lifelike but there are some creepy and disturbing visuals and the music by Akira Yamaoka is downright classy.
So overall, Silent Hill: The Short Message is a great entry point in the series and a great way to tide us over until any new games come out especially the SH2 remake.
If I did have some nitpicks, it would be that the lip-syncing can be a bit of an issue and I don't think I've heard a single person with a German accent in a game that's supposed to take place in Germany. But other than that, this was a great game to experience.
If you happen to have a couple hours on your hands, I'd say definitely pick this up and give it a go.
Also, Konami, please don't delete this game like you did with P.T. Please!
Until next time, thank you for taking the time to check out this installment of GAME MODE: ON.
If you liked what you've read here and want to see more, you can go ahead and follow me whenever you want.
And also, don't forget to check out my Letterboxd page for new film reviews every week. Actually, scratch that, expect a new review every two weeks. Really need to rest easy after two years of writing too much content.
And on that note, do check out my reviews for the Silent Hill movies and here's to hoping that new third one is any good.
SILENT HILL(2006): https://letterboxd.com/cmpg1337/film/silent-hill/
SILENT HILL: REVELATION: https://letterboxd.com/cmpg1337/film/silent-hill-revelation-3d/